Treasury Says It Cannot Sanction Wikileaks Or Julian Assange

The Treasury Department said it doesn’t have enough evidence to place sanctions on Wikileaks or its leader Julian Assange, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

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Julian Assange, leader of Wikileaks.

Responding to Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who asked the department to add it to its blacklisted entities list maintained at the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the Treasury said none of its current programs can reach either Wikileaks or Assange. The Treasury administers but doesn’t create the criteria for sanctions; that power comes either legislatively or by executive order.

“We do not have evidence at this time as to Julian Assange or Wikileaks meeting criteria under which [Treasury] may designate persons and place them on the” sanctions list, a Treasury representative said in a statement.